The present invention relates generally to transponders that are used on satellites, and more particularly, to a system and method generating and remotely viewing satellite transponder plots.
The assignee of the present invention manufactures and deploys communication satellites for providing global communication services. Each of the communication satellites include a plurality of transponders that provide communication channels between Earth terminals and/or ground stations. Satellite transponder plots are typically generated each day that allow engineers to analyze and troubleshoot potential problems with the transponders.
Heretofore, engineers employed by the assignee of the present invention would call an operations center to have a transponder plot taken on paper, and then this was sent to the physical location of the engineers via a fax machine. Also, full bandwidth paper plots (550 MHz spans) were taken 3 times a day and were kept in a filing cabinet. The paper plots could also be sent via fax machine to the physical location of the engineers if desired.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide for an improved system and method for generating and remotely viewing satellite transponder plots. It is an objective of the present invention to provide for an improved system and method that allows analysis of transponder data to look for trends and troubleshoot problems, and archive long term history of communication traffic on satellites.
To accomplish the above and other objectives, the present invention is a system and method for providing remote viewing of satellite transponder plots. The system and method also permits analysis of transponder data to look for trends and troubleshoot problems. The system and method also archives files indicative of the long term history of communication traffic on satellites.
The system provides for remote viewing of satellite transponder plots derived from transponders located on a satellite that communicate with ground terminals having an antenna. The system comprises an antenna switch for receiving transponder signals from the antenna. A spectrum analyzer is coupled to the antenna switch for generating transponder plots. An equipment control computer is coupled to the antenna switch and the spectrum analyzer that selectively routes signals from the antenna switch to the spectrum analyzer and routes transponder plots generated by the spectrum analyzer. A server computer is coupled to the equipment control computer that stores the transponder plots generated by the spectrum analyzer that are routed by the equipment control computer. One or more remotely located client computers are coupled to the server computer that each comprise a software program for remotely viewing the transponder plots stored on the server computer.
The method provides for remote viewing of satellite transponder plots derived from transponders located on a satellite that communicate with ground terminals that each have an antenna. In implementing the method, transponder plots derived from data received by the antennas are selectively generated. The transponder plots are stored on a server computer. The transponder plots stored on the server computer are remotely viewed from one or more remotely located client computers using a computer program.
In a reduced-to-practice embodiment, the present invention provides for a system and method wherein data relating to transponders disposed on Loral Skynet satellites deployed by the assignee of the present invention, for example, are plotted automatically as often as desired within equipment constraints, and the transponder plots are stored as files on a server computer. The stored transponder files are remotely viewable from client computers coupled to the server computer.
The transponder files may be viewed whenever it is necessary either using a Microsoft Excel program and a macro, or using a dedicated plot viewer. The system and method not limited however to use with specific satellites and is of great value to the industry in general. Personnel, such as engineers, for example, desiring access to high quality transponder plots at all times may be accessed from a computer having a modem and the requisite software.